EU Report

Slovaks protest for second time in two weeks against PM Fico. Tens of thousands of Slovaks returned to the central square in the capital on Friday for the second large protest in two weeks, opposing what they see as a policy shift by Prime Minister Robert Fico aimed at moving closer to Russia. Protesters also gathered in dozens of other cities and towns across the central European nation. They called for Fico to resign with chants of "Resign, resign" and "Russian agent". The news website Dennik N estimated the crowd in Bratislava's Freedom Square at between 42,000 and 45,000 people, slightly below the demonstration two weeks ago that attracted an estimated 60,000 people to the capital. The latest rallies took place in 41 locations in Slovakia, up from 28 two weeks ago, and in another 13 cities abroad, organizers said. Tensions have built in recent weeks after Fico's government attacked progressive opponents, accusing them of "attempting to cause chaos" and "overthrow the government." The government is weighing new "preventive measures" due to what Fico has said were "plans to escalate protests into attempts at illegally overthrowing the government", including by occupying state buildings. Fico has rejected opposition calls to step down. The latest round of protests come after Fico privately travelled to Moscow in December to meet Putin and disappeared after it, until he was then later located at a luxury hotel in Vietnam. OpenAI users traced Fico's whereabouts finally to the Capella Hanoi hotel, where Fico was staying in the Grand Opera Madam Butterfly suite that cost €5,470 per night, according to Slovak Media Monitor. Fico’s recent remarks that Slovakia’s foreign policy orientation could involve leaving the EU and NATO contributed to the anger of protesters. “Resign, resign,” was the the clear message to the premier. “Slovakia is Europe.” 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇸🇰

Russia and Belarus cheer dismantling of USAID Musk-led cuts to the US foreign aid agency have impacted rights groups, independent media, and election monitoring campaigns in Russia, Belarus and Moldova. Moscow and Belarusian officials have welcomed the impending dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) as rights groups, health researchers and independent media voiced concerns about how a withdrawal of funding may impact their operations. The Trump administration has indicated that the foreign aid agency will be all but completely shut down as part of a larger Elon Musk-led project. On Thursday, officials said the Trump administration announced a plan to slash the number of workers in the agency from 10,000 to around 290, essentially ending many of its operations and leaving the remaining few drastically smaller. The Kremlin celebrated the decision, with Maria Zakharova on Thursday describing the agency as, "anything but an aid, development and assistance agency." Instead, she claimed, USAID is a "mechanism for changing regimes, political order [and] state structure". Former russian president and deputy chairman of the Russian security council, Dmitri A. Medvedev chimed in to call the move to dismantle the agency "smart". But civil society groups helping Russian dissidents say USAID's closure would put the future of their work at risk. OVD-Info, a rights group that tracks political arrests and offers legal aid to those detained and prosecuted, said that while the agency's dismantling has little impact on them, other groups that it helps will be affected. “Without their existence, our work will become significantly more difficult.” Kovcheg, a group that helps Russians fleeing abroad to find shelter, legal and psychological support and training, said it has lost 30% of its budget as a result of the USAID cut. The Z-regime designated many rights organisations like these as "foreign agents", a label that deters potential donors and prohibits advertising to make funding impossible. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who recently secured another term in power via a fixed election, claimed the decision to take apart the agency was a response to his calls for a "reset" of relations between Belarus and the US. Also celebrating the demise of USAID is Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán, who said on Friday morning that his government will take legal action to eliminate NGOs and media outlets operating in the country that receive funding from the US and other international sources. Orbán praised Trump's decision to dismantle USAID, claiming it work had been used to fund organisations that sought to “topple” his government. Read more 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇺🇸

European far-right gathered in Madrid. Support for the extreme right is on the rise in several EU Member States. This year, the group is meeting in Madrid. Participants include Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, French National Alliance leader Marine Le Pen, Dutch right-wing populist Geert Wilders and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. The objective of the meeting, is to “outline the strategy to consolidate the alternative to the consensus of conservative and socialists that has been governing in Brussels for a decade”. In a joint statement, the "Patriots for Europe" condemned "climate fanaticism, illegal immigration and over-regulation in the EU". The parties are parroting Trump with the motto of making "Europe great again", and actively promoting Musk in the European Parliament. They guy should have free reign for his cesspool, Salvini even wants to put the encrypted communications of the Italian government in his hands. Vox, the party hosting the meeting, said the EU must make a "180-degree turn". This party is the bridge that connects 'Patriots for Europe' with the transoceanic ultra-right, not only with Trump's environment through the close relationship of the Disenso Foundation (think tank associated with Vox) with Heritage, but also with the presidents of Argentina and El Salvador, Javier Milei and Nayib Bukele, mainstays of the radical right in Latin America; or with the main opposition figures in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado or Edmundo González. The Spanish ultra-right party is obviously more successful at the international level than at the domestic. Contrary to their European comrades, which got around 20% of votes, Vox was left with a meager 12,5% in the last European elections. According to the organizer, about 2,000 people will attend the event. Now, the question remains what this movement of xenophob "international nationalists" will say once Trump attacks Europe. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇪🇸

A fake video about the closure of USAID, which Musk reposted, has gained more than 13 million views. This is a record success for the Kremlin's campaign. The Kremlin's network of bots called "Matryoshka" has achieved record success in history: a fake video about the US Agency for International Development (USAID) paying celebrities for trips to Ukraine has gained more than 13 million views, and a thread with its retelling has gained another 12 million, reports the Bot Blocker (antibot4navalny) project. According to the project, several fake videos and tweets on the topic of the suspension of USAID began to circulate on cesspool X and BlueSky from February 3. The videos used the symbols of major world media, including Voice of America, ENews and France 24. ENews and Voice of America have already released statements that they have nothing to do with these videos. In the fake video that gained a record number of views, which was reposted on his Twitter page by Musk, it was claimed that several famous actors received large sums from USAID for their visits to Ukraine: Angelina Jolie - $20 million, Orlando Bloom - $8 million, Ben Stiller - $4 million, Jean-Claude Van Damme - $1.5 million. Now, a question: Who on Earth is that braindead that he can't recognize such a BS not at first glance as a fake??? So everyone who reposts such obvious lies and fakes does it on purpose. @freerussia_report

Finland introduced a law banning Russians from real estate transactions. The Finnish government has submitted a bill aimed at prohibiting the acquisition of real estate in Finland by foreigners who have the citizenship of countries waging a "war of aggression" or posing a threat to national security. The purpose of the initiative is "to limit the ability of Russian citizens to purchase real estate in the country," said Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkanen Häkkanen noted that Russia continues to pose a security threat in Europe, and real estate purchased by Russians can be used to "exert a hostile influence." The document provides for exceptions for persons with dual Russian-Finnish citizenship, as well as for Russians permanently residing in Finland or other EU countries. By the fall of last year, Russians owned about 3.500 properties in Finland. According to Yle, real estate transactions involving Russian citizens have long been controversial. So, in 2024, the Finnish Ministry of Defense blocked several such transactions, citing buyers' ties with Russia. The possibility of confiscating previously sold real estate for reasons of national security is also being considered. The Defense Minister stressed that Russia has stepped up the use of various tools of hybrid influence, including sabotage, influence on critical infrastructure, corporate property and real estate. "Real estate is part of this palette." 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇫🇮

The Social Justice Center (SJC) has published updated information on the health status of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov, who is under threat of extradition. The editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijani website Azel TV, Afgan Sadigova, has been on hunger strike for 142 days, according to his wife. On February 2, 2025, after the long hunger strike, Sadygov declared a dry hunger strike and refused water. As the center explains, the reason for such a radical decision was the extension of his pre-trial detention for another 3 months by a court decision, despite the fact that the ECHR issued a temporary ruling prohibiting his transfer to Azerbaijan. According to SJC, on February 5, Sadygov's health deteriorated sharply and he was unconscious for several hours. “Thanks to the intervention of doctors from the No. 18 medical facility for accused and convicted persons, he was brought out of critical condition, and at the moment his condition is stable. On February 6, at the request of his family and the recommendation of his lawyers, Afgan Sadygov agreed to resume drinking water, but he continues a full hunger strike,” the statement said. Sadygov's condition remains extremely serious. According to SJC, his current weight is only 56 kg, which is 40 kg less than when he was arrested. Doctors at the penitentiary institution warn that the consequences of the prolonged hunger strike may be irreversible. “Sadygov began a hunger strike on September 21, 2024, in protest against unfair treatment and decisions by two authoritarian regimes. Already on the 17th day of the hunger strike, his condition worsened so much that he was transferred to medical facility No. 18, where he remains to this day. An additional factor that aggravates his health is the fact that in 2020, after his second illegal arrest in Azerbaijan, he was sentenced to 7 years in prison, and then he went on hunger strike for 242 days. During that period, his condition worsened to the point that he required long-term rehabilitation and treatment abroad,” SJC said in a statement. More information about the case of the founder and editor-in-chief of the opposition Azerbaijani Azel TV, Afgan Sadygov HERE and HERE 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇪

Addition to previous report Former Russian football champion, personal president of the founder of the Georgian Nightmare party Mikheil Kavelashvili has ALREADY signed the repressive laws of the Georgian Nightdream. Repressive changes have been made to the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Code on Assemblies and Manifestations, the Criminal Code and the Law on Police. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇪

Auschwitz liberation ceremony As per tradition, state controlled ruZZian outlets have been busy accusing the West of 'Russophobia, Nazism and historical revisionism' for not inviting any russian delegation to the commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. However, this was obviously not because of any alleged Western ‘historical revisionism’ or ‘support for Ukrainian Nazism’, but because of the Kremlin’s decision to start the largest military conflict in Europe since the end of WWII. The Z-twist of the Holocaust: In the Z-memorials of Auschwitz, Sobibor, Belzec, Treblinka - for some reason Jews are barely even named. Putin speaks not of the Holocaust, but of the "genocide of the Soviet people". He argued that the Nazis' aim had been "to seize our country's rich natural resources and territories, as well as to exterminate the majority of its citizens". It's not that ruZZia doesn't want to speak about the Holocaust or the Jews. "The idea is about presenting Russians as victims, to feel that they are victims: victims of Western powers, victims in history. That is the core idea of this narrative." He argues that the narrative of Russia as victim has become especially strong since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, explains historian and researcher Konstantin Pakhaliuk. "If you are a victim, you cannot bear responsibility." Instead Z- propaganda used the ceremony to spread even more fakes attacking Zelenskyy. 🇪🇺@EU_Report

Baltic Sea in russian distorted narratives - EUvsDisInfo In an effort to manipulate actual events, pro-Kremlin outlets have been portraying the navies of NATO countries as ‘pirates’, after Swedish authorities recently boarded a vessel to conduct an investigation after an undersea fibre optic cable was cut, almost certainly as a result of misuse of the ship’s anchor. As there were strong suspicions of deliberate sabotage, a criminal act, Sweden was exercising a lawful right to protect its critical infrastructure. The incident took place just two months after a similar episode involving another tanker carrying Russian oil was stopped by Finnish authorities for similar suspicions. Btw. the Silver Dania was released the next day after searching the ship and conducting interviews for evidence of any wrongdoing. Norwegian police said late Friday that no findings had been made that would have linked the ship to the damaged cables. “Tromsø police district has now conducted a number of investigative steps and secured what we see as necessary considering the request from Latvia. The investigation will continue, but we see no reason for the ship to remain in Tromsø any longer,” Tromsø police attorney Ronny Jørgensen said late Friday. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇷🇺

UK expels russian diplomat after spying row. A russian diplomat has been expelled from the UK in the latest escalation of a tit-for-tat spat after Moscow threw out a British official last year. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said action had been taken "following russia's recent expulsion of a British diplomat" in November. Moscow accused the diplomat of giving false information and spying as grounds for asking him to leave. The government said the UK "will not stand for intimidation of our staff in this way" and that "any further action taken by russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly". Russia's ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin, who has been in post since 2019, was summoned to the Foreign Office to be informed one of his diplomats was having their accreditation revoked. "We are unapologetic about protecting our national interests," Lammy said. "My message to Russia is clear - if you take action against us, we will respond." The Z-Foreign Ministry said it intended to retaliate to the expulsion. Since russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022, expulsions of diplomats have become increasingly common. It's a wonder that there are still some left... 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇧

Summit on the horizon - EUvsDisInfo Putin is angling for another high-profile sit-down with Trump, but this time, the location and stakes are different. Behind the diplomatic bravado, we see a familiar playbook of strategic flattery, poorly veiled ultimatums, and lies after lies. The Kremlin is practically giddy with anticipation about a possible summit between Putin and Trump. But this time, don’t expect the meeting to be held in Helsinki. Instead, Russia is reportedly eyeing Saudi Arabia or the UAE as potential locations. Senior Russian officials have already made visits to these countries, laying the groundwork. In the lead-up to a potential summit, Putin has gone out of his way to shower the American president with praise. Putin has called Trump a ‘very strong person’ and even released a video congratulating him on his election win – something he had never done in 25 years of power. Normally, Putin’s message to incoming US presidents is a short public telegram, but this time, he made an exception, delivering a full-on video message emphasising his supposed openness to ‘dialogue’. Reloading ultimatums However, he is likely gearing up to repeat some familiar ultimatums. Expect him to push for the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from regions Russia claims to have annexed (also even if they do not actually have full military control of them). He will also likely insist that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions, which are written into the Ukrainian constitution, and demand the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia. Additionally, pro-Kremlin outlets have been honing in on a particular narrative: Zelenskyy is allegedly an ‘illegitimate’ leader. Putin recently claimed it would be impossible to negotiate with Zelenskyy, stating, ‘He doesn’t have the right to sign anything.’ Of course, if Zelenskyy’s up for talks, Putin would promise to send ‘someone appropriate’ to do the negotiating. But, when it comes to signing any formal agreement, Putin insisted that it would be impossible to have Zelenskyy at the other end. The claim of ‘illegitimacy’ on repeat Putin even went as far as to say that, due to his supposed ‘illegitimacy’, Zelenskyy would not be able to lift his own 2022 ban on negotiations with Russia – something Zelenskyy had decreed when he was, in Putin’s words, a ‘legitimate’ president. While repeating the word does not make it any truer, this whole ‘illegitimacy’ narrative ultimately serves one purpose: to justify not having direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy. Ukraine’s constitution is pretty clear: no elections can be held during wartime, and the president stays in office until a new one is elected. Zelenskyy recently confirmed that once the hot phase of the war is over and martial law is lifted, Ukraine will definitely hold democratic elections. The old dream of parity Moscow’s attempts reflect a decade-old dream of restoring the image of parity with Washington, just like in the good ol' cold-war days when the two nuclear superpowers decided global security. Now it is a thinly veiled attempt to secure an exclusive US-Russia dialogue over the heads of Ukraine. 🇪🇺@EU_Report @freerussia_report

Deputies from the Georgian Nightmare voted to terminate the mandates of the opposition. The Parliament of Georgia has actually become a one-party. On February 5, members of the Georgian parliament from the ruling Georgian Nightmare party voted to terminate the mandates of 49 deputies from opposition parties. Thus, 101 deputies officially remained in the Georgian parliament instead of 150. In fact, there are even fewer of them: 12 mandates belong to the party "For Georgia" of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, which has not officially appealed to parliament with a request to terminate mandates. Its representatives, however, never came to parliament. Thus, in fact, only 89 deputies from the Georgian Nightdream sit in parliament. It's a one party meeting. In addition, on February 5, the Georgian parliament approved the creation of an "investigative commission to investigate crimes committed during the period when the United National Movement was in power." The UNM, the party founded by Mikheil Saakashvili, was the ruling party during his presidency in 2004-2012. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇪

Georgian PM claims amendments to Criminal, Administrative Offences codes to “protect state interests.” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday claimed a series of amendments to the Criminal and Administrative Offences codes, initiated by the ruling Georgian Nightmare party on Monday, were aimed to “ensure protection of state interests” and strengthen the police "in line with human rights standards". His comments followed the party's initiative to introduce legislative changes to “curb the influence of the deep state”, an alleged covert global network. The changes include stricter regulations for demonstrations held in closed spaces without prior consent of venue owners, fines for petty hooliganism, vandalism, and disobedience to law enforcement officers. The term for administrative detention will be increased to 60 days for certain violations, while verbal insults directed at state or political officials and public servants will now be considered administrative violations and will carry “strict penalties”. The PM also claimed the country’s Parliament should be “exclusively represented by those who serve the national interests of Georgia”. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇪

US out - UK in The United States refused to chair another meeting on Ukraine in the Ramstein format. The 26th meeting of the contact group on Ukraine in the Ramstein format scheduled for February 12 in Brussels will be held for the first time not under the leadership of the United States. The refusal of the United States to lead the meeting may be due to the fact that the Trump team has not yet decided on an official position on Ukraine and on further military assistance to Kyiv, suggests a EU official. Other media expected that the contact group on Ukraine in the Ramstein format would stop its work after Trump took office, as he is very skeptical about supporting Ukraine and openly shows favor to Putin. Whatever it means, the new head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, will be present at the meeting. The UK will take over the chairmanship of the group and convene allies for the the next meeting on February 12. The purpose of the Ramstein meetings is to coordinate assistance to Kyiv from allies. According to the Pentagon, by January 2025, the countries participating in the group had transferred $126 billion in military aid to Kyiv. At the same time, in early February, Trump claimed that the US had invested "almost $200 billion more" in support of Ukraine than European countries. He promised to demand compensation from the EU for this. Probably in form of Greenland... 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇧

An active participant in the protests, co-founder of "Knowledge Cafe" Keti Molashvili spread information on social networks that her parents, now former supporters of "Georgian Dream", were dismissed from public service. Publika spoke with Molashvili’s mother, Manana Javakhishvili, who said that she worked in the Signagi mayor’s office, in the Tsnori territorial body, for 12 years, and her husband had been the head of the Signagi sakrebulo apparatus since the same year. Javakhishvili cites her political position as the reason for her dismissal , and the activity of their children as the reason for her husband’s dismissal. Javakhishvili says the family has no other source of income: no land, no vineyard, no business. "We actively participated in the 2012 elections, my husband was a delegate to the founding congress of the Georgian Dream when the party was just formed, so we were the first 'dreamers'. Then both my husband and I were members of the headquarters for the 2012 elections, I was the coordinator of Tsnori, and my husband headed the headquarters." She said she supported Georgian Dream until the "foreign agent" law was proposed. Javakhishvili said she was surprised that people did not see that this was not a "transparency" law, but that its purpose was to suppress freedom of thought. “I have been openly opposing this since last spring.” She saw the processes taking place in the country, the elections, the reintroduction of the law "on foreign agents", but the last straw was the suspension of negotiations on joining the EU. She was offended when they won the elections and said that they were no longer entering the EU with dignity and were suspending the process until 2028, "that is, after 2028, but if the EU insults our dignity, why should we enter after 2028? Why are they lying to us?" After that, she took part in a protest, and, as she says, the management personally told her that they respected her, did not want to fire her, but asked her to refrain from protesting. But Javakhishvili expected to be fired. ▶️ As for her husband, Javakhishvili says he is keeping quiet about his dismissal. He was told by phone that he was being fired: "They didn't say anything, they didn't even bother to meet, because in fact, the Georgian Dream doesn't have a supporter like my husband. All the others there are supposedly supporters of the party, but in reality, these are the people who humiliated us in 2012, opposed us, mocked us, organized corridors of shame, and now occupy leading positions in the sakrebulo with good salaries." Javakhishvili says that she considers the Georgian Dream party's decision to fire her husband to be revenge, since her children actively express criticism. "This is revenge. My husband was punished for the children's activity, because they could not make them keep quiet." She adds that the children of city hall and sakrebulo officials are also participating in the protests, but the difference is that her husband was transferred to contract work, while the rest of the city hall employees were not. "I already have an argument that if I was punished, this regime will affect you too, it will affect everyone, and here we are talking about saving millions for the sake of one person and direct isolation. Georgia is isolated from world civilization," she says. She believes that she did the right thing to expose the regime, and, like her children, joining the protests, and still believes in the possibility of changing the situation. Manana also intends to use all legal mechanisms and contact the ombudsman. Her husband has not yet made a decision. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇪

The EU Court of Justice ordered Warsaw to pay a fine of €320 million for refusing to bring its legislation in line with EU standards. The Court of Justice of the European Union rejected Poland's claim, obliging it to pay in full a fine of more than €320 million, imposed back in the fall of 2021 for refusing to bring its legislation in the field of the judicial system in line with EU norms. The total amount of the fine to be paid by Warsaw is 320.2 million euros. Such a fine has accumulated for 2022 and 2023. The reason was the changes in the country's judicial system carried out in the 2019s. In particular, as part of the reforms, a disciplinary chamber for judges was created, which critics considered insufficiently impartial and questioning the independence of the courts. It was also noted that these commissions are used to put pressure on judges who criticize government decisions. In April 2021, the European Commission filed a lawsuit against Poland, which demanded the liquidation of the disciplinary commission. In the autumn of the same year, the European Commission imposed a daily fine on Poland for failing to comply with the court's order, which began to be levied in November of the same year. In court, Polish representatives tried to achieve the cancellation or partial reduction of the fines that were imposed in 2022-2023. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇵🇱

Guilty until proven innocent? Bundestag deputy Stefan Gelbhar was accused of harassment. He was forced to withdraw from the elections A month later, it turned out that the main victim did not exist. A member of the Green Party was accused of sexualized violence before the elections to the Bundestag Stefan Gelbhaar, a 48-year-old lawyer from Berlin, joined the Green Party 25 years ago. He belongs to the moderate wing. In 2017, Gelbhaar was elected to the Bundestag and was going to be re-elected there in February 2025. However, he was accused of sexualized violence. In December, in Office of the Ombudsman of the Greens in two days, 18 complaints against the politician were received, writes Die Zeit. According to the newspaper, many of them were anonymous. Only one complaint was based on a testimony of a certain "Anna K.", given under oath. The Greens' ombudsman's office informed Gelbhaar of the complaints but did not disclose their nature, citing confidentiality. According to the deputy, not knowing the essence of the claims, he could not justify himself in any way. He also said that representatives of the party put pressure on him, demanding that he withdraw his candidacy from the upcoming elections to the Bundestag, which he did, although he denied all charges. When the story hit the media, it turned out that the main charges against Gelbhaar were made under a false name RBB broadcasted the story, quoting, in particular, the testimony of "Anna K." Gelbhaar drew attention to the fact that no one had brought criminal charges against him, and said that they wanted to discredit him. In mid-January, the Tagesspiegel questioned the identity of "Anna K." It turned out that she was not registered at the address indicated in her testimony, and the tenants did not know the woman with that name. Nor did the name appear on the Green Party's lists, although the alleged victim claimed to have met with Gelbhaar in party working groups. The media suspect that political intrigue may be behind the accusations against Gelbhaar. Another representative of the Greens in Berlin is suspected of fabricating complaints, Shirin Kresse from the party's left wing left the Greens after RBB had to admit that their reporters were unable to meet "Anna K.", whose testimony was key to the report, in person, or to see her identity card. Kresse claimed that she had spoken with the alleged victim. In general, for the party, journalists agree, this is a sensitive blow before the elections. The rating of the Greens has been steadily falling over the past couple of years and now does not reach 14%. The scandal can reduce it even more - especially since it is not over yet. The party has launched an investigation into its own mistakes and the remaining complaints. The leader of the Greens, Robert Habeck, stressed that the fabrication of charges against Gelbhaar greatly harmed not only him, but also many women who really suffered from harassment. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇩🇪

Wealthy russians have not reduced real estate purchases in Europe. They continue to buy real estate in the EU countries at the same pace, despite the confrontation between them and other difficulties. The demand of Russians for real estate in the EU countries and the number of transactions for its purchase have not changed over the year, Intermark Global reported. And given the fact that, in general, the demand of Russians for foreign real estate in 2024 has decreased significantly (25% less than in 2023), the share of the EU in such transactions increased from 20% to 26%. Only Southeast Asia was more popular with Russians, accounting for 42% of transactions in 2024. 17% of residential properties were bought by Russians in the Persian Gulf countries, 7% in Turkey, which used to be the most popular shopping destination. There, demand decreased the most. While demand in other directions is declining, in the European direction it remains almost unchanged. 90% of real estate in Europe is purchased for immigration purposes - to obtain a residence permit. This does not mean that buyers intend to move to Europe: they often use residence permits to open accounts, register companies or simply visa-free travel. Last year, Intermark's clients most often bought real estate in France (demand there increased by 80% and accounted for 37% of European transactions). It is now one of the most loyal countries to Russians at the level of bureaucracy - from issuing tourist visas to doing business, comments a visa consultant working with Russian citizens. Buying real estate in France is not a direct basis for obtaining a residence permit, but the owner of any real estate in the country bought for even 10.000 euros can apply for a residence permit or a long-term visa of category D. The absence of an investment requirement makes a residence permit in the country very affordable. Demand for real estate in Spain, including non-resorts, is also returning. the number of transactions over the year increased by 1.5 times and amounted to 20% of all real estate purchases by Russians in the EU. This is also due to an attempt to jump into the "last wagon" - by the end of the first quarter of 2025, the country will end the residence permit program for real estate. Cyprus, traditionally beloved by Russians, accounted for 14% of European transactions. The average check for investments in real estate in Spain at the end of 2024, according to the agency, amounted to $700.000, in Cyprus - $500.000, and Russians also began to buy real estate in the UK ($350,000) and Greece ($300,000) more often. On the contrary, the interest of Russians in Portugal and Hungary, where it has become more difficult for real estate buyers to obtain a residence permit, has fallen by about five times over the year. According to forecasts, this year the demand of Russians for real estate in the EU will remain stable, except that it can be redistributed between the countries of the union depending on changes in the conditions for granting residence permits because applicants closely monitor all changes and easily switch from one country to another. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇷🇺

Beavers Save Czech Taxpayers Money by Flooding Area Authorities Wanted to Swamp for Years The story took place in Brdy, where the authorities had been planning to restore the protected area for 7 years, but the project got stuck at the approval stage. The animals got ahead of the officials. They built several dams in 2 days and flooded the area around the Padrtské ponds drained by the military, returning it to its original appearance. "The beavers created the necessary biotope conditions practically overnight. While the Military Forests and Estates and the Vltava River Basin Authority were negotiating the project implementation and land ownership issues, the beavers outdid them, saving us 30 million crowns. They built dams without any design documentation and for free," said Fišer in an interview with Radio Prague International. The wetlands and water basins they created will be excellent habitats for rare species like stone crayfish, frogs, and others that thrive in wetland areas. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇨🇿 🦫

Canadians cancel trips, ban American booze, boycott Netflix and Amazon after Trump's tariffs. Canadians have canceled trips south of the border, boycotted U.S. alcohol and other products and even booed at sporting events after Trump announced 25% tariffs on most of Canada's goods on Saturday. "It feels like Trump wants to restructure the world order," Drew Dilkens, mayor of the Canadian border city of Windsor, said in an interview. "He's willing to start with his closest ally… If he's willing to do this to Canada, what's he willing to do to everybody else?" Calgary resident Ken Lima-Coelho said the tariff news spurred a surge of Canadian pride in his household. His 19-year-old son is now making plans to sew a small Canadian flag to his backpack for an upcoming trip to Europe, while his daughter spent Saturday night making an inventory of Canadian food products in the family's kitchen. "There's nothing I can do about this quagmire that we now find ourselves in politically with the regime next door," Lima-Coelho said. "But I can change which toothpaste I buy... and that gives us something to do while hopefully our political and business leaders sort this out." Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau immediately announced retaliatory tariffs on C$155 billion ($107 billion) of U.S. goods. He also encouraged Canadians to buy local and vacation in Canada, a sentiment echoed by many local officials. Ontario Premier Doug Ford ordered American-made liquor to be off the shelves of the provincially controlled Liquor Control Board of Ontario, the only alcohol wholesaler in Canada's most populous province, by Tuesday. "Every year, LCBO sells nearly $1 billion worth of American wine, beer, spirits and seltzers. Not anymore," he wrote. After attending church in Winnipeg, Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd said her grocery shopping habits will change, and she hoped to support Mexican products as well as Canadian. "There will be job losses in this country... we know that's going to happen," she said. "We need to find ways to be in solidarity with others who will be suffering the brunt of some irrational ire." In Ottawa on Saturday night, Canadians reacted more angrily at a hockey game: booing the U.S. national anthem before the Ottawa Senators played the Minnesota Wild. The same did basketball fans again on Sunday before the Toronto Raptors played the LA Clippers. Legal actions will be taken for violating trade the trade commitments between the two countries under their free trade agreement and under the World Trade Organization. At the moment, there is a one-month pause in the trade war, but the citizens sentiments won't cool that fast. The trade truce with the EU will (according to the agreement) expire in March 2025. But Trump's threat to impose import taxes on the UK and the EU came just a day after Canada and Mexico ordered retaliatory tariffs on American goods. Europe has been preparing for the possibility of a trade war with the US for months. What was colloquially called a “Trump task force” operated behind the scenes within the European Commission for much of last year, drawing up potential scenarios and responses. 🇪🇺@EU_Report